Liverpool Boss Rafa Benitez to Take Soon to Be Vacant Manchester City Post?

Italian newspaper La Stampa is reporting that Manchester City owner Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan is interested in Liverpool coach Rafael Benitez. By all accounts City are preparing to thwart efforts by Juventus to poach the Liverpool boss and will offer the Spaniard a huge transfer kitty and long term contract to leave Anfield for Eastlands.

Juventus have been viewed as front runners to tempt Benitez to leave Anfield but with City now apparently interested in Benitez it does shake things up somewhat, for starters it would mean that the likes of Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard would become serious targets for City, they have the money to splash and Benitez would not be afraid to spend it.

It may well not be the end of the world for Juventus and Mancini though, they are thought to be interested in each other and if Juventus do not manage to attract Benitez then the chances are it would be Mancini they would turn to.

For Liverpool fans this is not welcome news, it is one thing losing Benitez to Juventus but a whole new ball game if they lose him to Man City, with the money City have it will make Liverpool fans very nervous about the club being able to hang on to its best players. (La Stampa reported on IMScouting)

Oh sweet Jesus, where did this one come from? Clearly this is highly unlikely and follows on from repeated rumours linking Rafa with a move from Anfield to Juventus, a move that is somewhat unlikely not least because the Serie A side are struggling big time and apparently in financial dire straits.

Now back to Manchester City. Will they fire Roberto Mancini if the club doesn’t achieve fourth place? Well that wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest. It would be a crazy move by City but I can see them doing it. Can I see them then turning to Benitez? Not really. Would Rafa be interested in the job? Probably not.

The job at the City of Manchester Stadium is a poisoned chalice to say the least. Yes you get millions to spend but if you don’t get instant success then your out on your ear, just ask Mark Hughes. I think Rafa will stick it out at Liverpool even if we fail to get the Champions League spot.

The chance of new, non-imbecile, owners must be a good incentive to hang around. If Tom Hicks and George Gillett do indeed get lost then hopefully whomever takes over hands over a decent sum to Rafa to invest in what is clearly a squad in need of refurbishment.